By Miguel Suleyman
Buoyed by her stellar performance in Ghana, Zambia, and Uganda, Tanzania’s top amateur golfer, Madina Iddi opens her 2025 golf season in South Africa where the 54-hole tournament tees off tomorrow.
It is her first outing in the event organised by The Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A), which brings together Africa’s top male and female amateur golfers at the Leopard Creek Country Club in South Africa.
“Enjoy playing away against good golfers and this is my first tournament outside Tanzania,” she said during her last training session at Arusha Gymkhana Club course.
But to her fans’ amazement, Madina says she scarcely shines at home as all her career success has been stamped on courses outside Tanzania.
Last year, Madina stamped her career best outside after winning the Ghana Ladies Open, Zambia Ladies Open, and two Ugandan Ladies Open tours held in Kampala and Entebbe.
While in Dar es Salaam on their way to Mpumalanga, South Africa, Madina said foreign golf courses have been very friendly to her and her fellow Tanzanian ladies.
It’s a season debut outside Tanzania for Madina and Vicky Elias, the Tanzanian envoys in the ladies’ category. Madina and Vicky are among the 21 elite female golfers invited to compete in a 54-hole challenge.
The Tanzanian ladies will also aim to improve their positions in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points.
Madina revealed that Uganda will continue to be the favourite destination for Tanzanian lady golfers claiming its immaculate green courses be it in Kampala, Jinja, or Entebbe, are very invitational.
Madina Iddi, who led a team of seven Tanzanian ladies, said Uganda courses and its people are extra-ordinary friendly.
“We don’t go there to compete, but rather to enjoy golf in a very friendly atmosphere. Uganda has a rare form of hospitality that you can’t find anywhere else, making it an ideal venue for an outing,” she revealed.
Both Madina and teammate Vicky Elias were part of a seven-lady team that conquered Kampala and Entebbe courses last year.
In a week, Madina won Uganda Ladies in a 54-hole tournament staged in Kampala, and a week later, she won the John Walker tour after posting 228 aggregate strokes followed by her teammate, Hawa Wanyeche who returned 230 gross strokes.
During the Kampala course showdown, Madina defeated the host by five strokes. The event’s defending champion, host Martha Babirye finished third overall.
Madina said Uganda was also the best destination for the youthful Tanzanian Aalaa Somji who finished fourth overfall behind Babirye with 238 strokes. Somji fired her first ace (hole-in-one) during the John Walker.
As the most striking revelation from Madina, she said after winning two titles in Uganda, she failed to shine at home during the Tanzania Ladies Open whose winner was Peace Kabasweke.
“This makes Uganda courses ours, but ours look theirs,” she chuckled.
Madina and Vicky will be on a course tomorrow and both are confident to perform well.
